Displaying items by tag: Paul Nicholson

13th February 2011

RNLI Volunteer Among Cork Plane Crash Dead

A former volunteer with Sunderland RNLI was among the five people who died in the plane crash tragedy at Cork Airport last week, according to BBC News.

Twenty-seven-year-old Andrew Cantle was co-pilot of the ill-fated Manx2 flight which came down in thick fog on Thursday morning.

He had previously spent eight years as a volunteer with RNLI Sunderland in north-east England, joining in 2000. Thereater he moved to York, where be began his career as a commercial pilot. He had only been with Manx2 for a few months before the incident.

The RNLI said Cantle had volunteers on 65 emergency missions and helped save the lives of 66 people.

Sunderland RNLI senior helmsman Paul Nicholson said: "Everyone involved with the lifeboat station is in total shock about the tragic loss of a very close and dear friend."

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wear-12429693

A former volunteer with Sunderland RNLI was among the five people who died in the plane crash tragedy at Cork Airport last week, according to BBC News.

Twenty-seven-year-old Andrew Cantle was co-pilot of the ill-fated Manx2 flight which came down in thick fog on Thursday morning.

He had previously spent eight years as a volunteer with RNLI Sunderland in north-east England, joining in 2000. Thereafter he moved to York, where be began his career as a commercial pilot. He had only been with Manx2 for a few months before the incident.

The RNLI said Cantle had volunteers on 65 emergency missions and helped save the lives of 66 people.
Sunderland RNLI senior helmsman Paul Nicholson said: "Everyone involved with the lifeboat station is in total shock about the tragic loss of a very close and dear friend."

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour